Living on the Saurerplatz

HISTORY/LOCATION

Arbon (TG) is a municipality with around 15000 inhabitants that is well known for more than its beautiful location on Lake Constance and its historic old town. The history of Saurer trucks also remains intrinsically linked with Arbon. A design plan for the disused Saurer site has existed since 2007. This is currently the largest development area in Eastern Switzerland, and the site is being transformed into a new urban district under the name Saurer Werk Zwei (Saurer Plant Two).

Covering an area of 200000 m2 and lying to the west of the Arbon railway station, HRS Real Estate AG acquired the site in 2012 and has developed it continually since then. Around 270 apartments had been realised by 2022, with the Presswerk culinary and event venue, the Restaurant Giesserei and the Hamel shopping centre providing further attractions. Important core elements of the site also include the 11000 m2 municipal park and the 7800 m2 Franz Saurer Passage that is named after the founder of the legendary brand.

The Wohnen am Saurerplatz (Living on the Saurerplatz) project sees HRS Real Estate AG clearly making its mark again in the middle of the Saurer Werk Zwei location. This new development encompasses 62 apartments and commercial premises on the ground floor. The location really could not be better, with the Arbon railway station only 400 metres away offering direct connections to Romanshorn and St. Gallen. Two connections to the A1 motorway can be reached about four kilometres from the new development.

CONCEPT/ARCHITECTURE

The new complex encompasses four complete floors and an underground car park. Commercial premises are accommodated on the ground floor, while 62 modern apartments are available above these with 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 rooms. This exciting mixture of levels offers small apartments for singles and couples, and maisonettes for families.

In architectural terms, the development draws inspiration from the industrial benchmark of the earlier Saurer plant. A divided block perimeter with a uniform eaves height incorporates the length of the former production buildings. With its extra depth, the structure on Saurerplatz is divided into a commercial base and a three-storey residential complex around a densely green inner courtyard. The spacious, secluded courtyard is the green heart of this ensemble. The thick foliage of a variety of plants and walkways surround a central large table with ample seating. This is framed by verandas bordering the courtyard. Private balcony strata are suspended on each of the longitudinal peripheral layers. One striking feature is the structure projecting towards Saurerplatz that is adorned with red side panels.

The building is a classic concrete skeleton design supported on single piles on a continuous base slab in the form of a white trough. The structure is insulated on the front and in the courtyard with external insulation and a suspended façade on the longitudinal sides. The loggia facing Saurerplatz consists of prefabricated concrete elements with intermediate glass and metal railings.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Hazardous legacy material needed to be first removed from the construction site. Old concrete elements from earlier storage facilities were exposed and chiselled away. The subsoil consisted of unstable layers with sand, lacustrine and silt deposits. This required anchoring of the development to a moraine on piles cast on site. Structural safeguarding of the building involved working continuously in groundwater. However, the development was handed over on schedule, despite these difficulties.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY /SUSTAINABILITY

The development was realised according to Minergie® standard criteria, whereby certification was dispensed with. Heating is provided by the award-winning Energiepark Morgental that was distinguished by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy as a flagship project of national significance and exemplary of the energy transition. Energiepark Morgental exploits energy on the ARA Morgental sewage treatment site from sewage gas, wastewater, waste wood, sunlight and biomass to generate electricity and heat. Thermal energy in the new Wohnen am Saurerplatz development is distributed through underfloor heating controlled through room thermostats.